WestEddy

I think MLBTR may have even surmised that Ellard opens today, then gets sent back down.

The Sox put him on waivers, and the Cubs claimed him. With the new rules in effect, no trades of major leaguers can occur after 7/31. To clear salary, a team can put a player on waivers, and if they're claimed, the claiming club assumes their contract. The Angels did the same thing in 2023, when they traded for Giolito and Lopez before the TDL, then after falling precipitously out of the running for a wild card spot, waived both Giolito and Lopez. Cleveland claimed both and assumed their salaries.

Thank you, Holden. You are proving my point. Take the L. It's over.

Gee, I don't know, Holden. Here's you predicting "strong" years from all three: Oh, and ...lol.

Uh...no. Because a bunch of grumps would argue that they're made of solid wood just to troll somebody who isn't as grumpy as them. It was stupid then, it's stupid now.

It's like having a child and deciding to be pissed off for 25 years until that child has a job and can support itself. I mean, why lower your expectations to be happy over a "first step" and "first word"? Get back to me when you publish your first master's thesis, which is still a lowered expectation.

I was roundly mocked for suggesting that the three main offensive starters going down to injury within the first 8 games of 2024 was a contributing factor to the horrible start (and the horrible middle and the horrible end). Vaughn should have been non-tendered just for his complete drop-off in the first few months of 2024.

Imagine making it your life's work to shame those who do. Not sure what your point is.

There sure was a lot of hand wringing over that guy back in the spring. I think crows would go extinct if everyone decided to "eat crow".

And only 2-city road trips all season.

If that's what makes life make sense for you, run with it.

Most people wanted Andrew Vaughn non-tendered last winter. The whole thing is kind of a wash.

Bryce Wilson's contract selected, and he's called up.

I know what I read. I'm guessing major league managers and players have more insight than online guys.

QO would be more money than the $20M

Yes, but every single team relies on "veteran leadership" to set the tone in the clubhouse. Part of roster building is to keep the number of true psychopaths to a minimum, not pad out a lineup with them.

I think Nightengale indicated a few times they were willing to send money with Robert or Benintendi. From July 8th on (when he returned from injury), Robert OPSed .808. That's the guy Getz will be marketing, and unless somebody has a Vargas and a Mead they have no room for, Robert's coming into 2026 with us.

I don't think Getz can acquire "more" for Robert this offseason. There were probably 3-5 teams kicking the tires on Robert, at all, at the TDL. Maybe you get more teams to talk, and some of those teams who weren't looking at the TDL have the same junk to offer, but theirs is more interesting, like post-hype prospects.

Jose Abreu was gone by 2023. I don't think they signed Clevenger for his leadership skills. Lynn, Graveman, Grandal and Joe Kelly all kind of stepped around their responsibilities.

We just saw a clubhouse descend into chaos without any character veterans. But now, veteran presence isn't necessary. U guys R funny.

So every person in professional sports is wrong, and non-athletes who watch the TeeVee have more knowledge about how players are brought along. Where's the Simpsons gif?

Every single professional sports team values veteran leadership. Probably because it's meaningless. I've had it pounded into my head that the Fletcher trade and the trade that brought DeLoach both sucked the day they were made because Fletcher and DeLoach are too old and won't be part of their future. Tauchman asked to not be traded because his daughter had a surgery, and he wanted to be close to his family. That doesn't render a trade bad in retrospect. Yes, had I known players they acquired were going to be bad, I would have not wanted them acquired.

I'm gonna go ahead and assume you really do understand the difference between saying that "losses don't matter during a rebuild" but steadily building a team's momentum during a rebuild. Tauchman wasn't taking playing time away from anybody in 2025. How did he help the org? Veteran leadership, filled a position. Do you think that a rookie OPSing .500 and dropping everything that is hit to him helps fans be entertained by the team? You're going to have to help me understand how guys who are screaming about actual prospects making mistakes want to plug in the non-prospects we have to set more loss records and make even more mistakes.